Fire-escape



(No Model.)

PIRE ESCAPE.

Patented July 3, 1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT (Dwice.

MORGAN S. VASHBURN, OF BILLINGS, EV YORK.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 280,538, dated July 3, 1883.

Application filed February17,1&83. (No model.)

T all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that l, MORGAN S. WAsHBUnN, of Billings, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of

' which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to make a movable seat with a back convertible into a fire-escape in a ready and convenient way, as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of l reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a view in perspective of a convertible chair and fire-escape embodying my invention, and as it appears when in use as a fire-escape. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the samein a plane which is parallel to the sides of the chair. Fig. 3 is a side view ofthe chair,

side view of a friction-brake for controlling the apparatus in its descent.

A in the drawings indicates the seat portion of the chair, which is or may be of box form, and have its top b hinged or tted loose to give ready access to the interior when required.

B is a main fixed back, which extends upward from the rear of the seat portion A, and

has hinged to its upper end, as at c c, afolding extension back-piece, B, which, when closed, shuts down in front of the main fixed back A, and preferably against or in line with a lower front fixed back-piece, B2, as shown in Fig. 3. Vhen the extension back-piece B isv thus folded or shut down, it and the front backpiece, B2, constitute the supporting-surface for the back of lthe occupant when the chair is used for its ordinary purposes, as a seat within a room. A space, d, is left between the front back-piece, B2, and the main back B, as also preferably between the extension backpiece B, when closed, and said main back B, to give room for the free working of a certain suspension and lowering rope, C, or it may be duplicate ropes, as hereinafter specified. XVhen, however, the folding back-piece B is opened up\ rard, it assumes an angular overhead position relatively to the main back B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and is restrained from opening farther by rope or other iiexible stays, D D, connecting said folding back-piece with the seat portion A ofthe chair. This open backpiece B serves to determine the center of gravity of the chair when suspended by the rope C, substantially as hereinafterdescribed,

and so that the suspended chair will assume an angular position in a downward direction away from a vertical line or plane illustrated by the dotted line :v x in Fig. 2, the object of which will be hereinafter explained.

The suspension and lowering rope C, or chain, which 'would be the equivalent, is attached at its one end by an eyelet, e, or by a hook, tothe ceiling S, or other upper part of the room, and the chair, when in use for sitting purposes within the apartment, is placed near one of the windows. From the eyelet e the rope C passes down and back through rcturn-cyes or guiding-apertures ff in the forward portion of the extended folding backpiece B', and under and over friction-strips ,f/ g, which virtually make the return-eyes f f friction-guides. From these friction-guides the rope C is run back and over the folding back-piece B, and down in rear of the upper portion of the main back B, preferably between guards E E, and through a guide-aperture, h., in said main back, down through the space d between the main back and lower front back-piece, B2, which is extended downward within the seat portion A to form a guide for the rope. Said rope G, thus extended, passes down under a rod or shaft, i, in the back portion of the seat, and from thence to a windlass, F, in the forward part of the box-seat A. The shaft L of this windlass F is fitted with an outside operating crank or handle, l; or lit may be with two such cranks or handles-that is, one on each end of the shaft.

G Gr are brakes of different lengths attached to the rod i', and having their fulcrums at m,

rod i is free to work through slots t" in the IOO sides ofthe seat portion A. The one or longer brake, G, which is a simple friction one, bears, when in operation, upon a wheel or one of the circular heads, j, of the windlass F, while the other or shorter brake, G', which'acts upon the opposite head, j", ofthe windlass, forms a positive stop or lock by engaging with a notch or tooth, y', in or on said headj".

Vhen the chair, anchored to the ceiling or upper part of the room, as described, is in use for sitting purposes within the room, its parts and appendances occupy the positions represented for them in Fig. 3, the ropes D I) C then lying slack or loose. In case of a tire, however, within the building, the chair, anchored to the room by the rope C, as described, is thrown out ofthe window, the brakes G- G becoming sel f-acting to hold and lock the windlass from turning, inasmuch as the rope C, by which the chair is suspended, will then pull up on the rod or shaft i to throw the brakes into action. Such suspension ot the chair through the brakes, especially the one G", which forms a positive stop, gives an opportunity to the person desiring` to descend by the chair to get into it, and such brakes are afterward controllable as desired. The ejection or suspension of the chair, as described, causes,

the extension back-piece B to be thrown out or open, as shown in Figs. land 2, till restrained by the stay-ropes D l), and causes the slack of the suspension-rope C to be taken up, leaving the chair suspended slightly out of plumb, as shown with reference to the dotted line w .fr in Fig. 2, and which, position causes the lower portion. of the back of the chair, when descending, to clear the window-sills or other obstructions on t-he Afront ot' the building. In this, however, the chair is assisted and steadied in its descent by the guards E E, of which there may be any number, and the same be of any desired shape to eifcct their designed purpose or object. rlhe escaping occupant, too, ot' the chair, after it has been ejected from the window, may use his or her feet against the wall ofthe building or projections therefrom to aid in clearing the wimlow-sills and other obstructions; or side slides or lovers applied to the chair may be worked by the occupant to accom plish the necessary clearance. To descend by the chair after it has been ejected from the window, tl 1e occupant controls its run by means of the brake G, or, if necessary or desirable, by controlling through the crank Zthe rotation of the windlass F, causing in either case the rope C to be passed out with more or less freedom. Then it is desired to stop during the descent, the brake G may be released, so as to engage with the notch g of the windlass-head j", there being no descent except when the hand-lever H is raised for the purpose. In this way or by these means the fire-escape may be utilized ordinarily as a chair within the room, and is or may be already anchored to the room for use as a fire-escape without having resort to any special attachment or adjustment of it when the necessity for such use of it occurs, and the escaping occupant is enabled to make a safe descent tothe ground. XVomen and children may thus be lowered in a sitting posture, and the chair, after it has reached the ground or other place of safety, maybe drawn up again by the rope C, attached at its one end to the windlass, and the windlass to be turned to take up said rope again for another descent,

and so on indefinitely till all the occupants oi' the room are rescued.

Instead of a central single rope, C, 1l may prefer to employ two of such suspension and lowering ropes, and arrange them parallel with each other on either side of the chair, to prevent side swing or tilting ofthe chair, and t0 give it a straighter and steadier run when descending, 'both of said ropes being attached and applied as the single rope C is secured and used.

If desired, the frame of the chair may be constructed of iron, and its frame-pieces or certain of them be hinged or similarlyjointed together. l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire-to secure by Letters Patent, is

l.. A chair having a folding and forwardlyextensible upper back piece, flexible stays connecting said back-piece with its base portion or seat, eyes-or guides in or connected with said back-piece and main back ofthe chair for the passage of 011e or more suspension and lowering ropes, and mechanism applied to the chair for controlling its descent by said rope or ropes, the whole forming a convertible chair and fire-escape, substantially as described.

2. rllhe combination of the seat portion A ot' the chair, the main fixed back B, having one or more eyes or guides, 71, the folding upper back section or piece, B, having return friction eyes or guides fj", and the frontilower back-piece, 32, essentially shown and described, and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. In combination with the overhead backpiece ofthe chair, having return eyes or guides for suspension ofthe chair by one or more lowering ropes, as described, and whereby the chair is suspended out of plumb, one or more guards arranged to project in rear of the back ofthe chair, essentially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

4. The guards E E on the back of the chair, arranged so that they also form guides for a chair suspension and lowering rope, in conibinati on with the main back B, having an eye, h, for said rope, and the extensible back-piece B', having returneyes j' f, sul istantiall y as specified.

5. The combination, with the main back B of the chair, of the box or seat portion A and the lower front back-piece, arranged to leave a space, d, between it and the main backpiece for the passage of one or more suspension and lowering ropes, essentially as described.

6. The combination of the windlass F, one or more suspension and lowering ropes, C, the

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seat portion A, the main back B, constructed to admit of the passage of said rope or ropes through it, and an overhead extension, B, having return friction eyes or apertures f f for the rope or ropes, substantially as specied.

7. The combination of one or more brakes, G, the Windlass F, the seat portions A of the chair, the main back B, with its overhead extension, B, and one o1" more suspension and lowering ropes or chains, C, essentially as described. v

8. The combination, With the Windlass F of the chair and its suspension rope or ropes C, ofthe longer friction-brake, G, and its attached lever H, the shorter stop-motion brake, G, with its attached leverH, and the rod or shaft fi, under which the suspension-rope is passed for controlling the brakeor brakes, substantially as specified.

9. In a convertible chairand rerescape, the combination of one or more suspension and lowering ropes with a high-backed chair having an overhead extension constructed to provide for, the suspension of the chair in front of its back, and for the passage ofthe suspension rope or ropes through it and down the back of the chair, and mechanism in the base of the chairfor controlling said ropes, substantially as described.

MORGAN s. WAsHBUnN.

Witnesses ISAAC V. BILLINGS, IRvING DUTCHER. 

